March of the Penguins (2005)

Documentary Rated G

Parental sacrifice takes many forms – I had trouble adjusting to Disney songs rather than, say, U2, as the soundtrack to a road trip – but few human endeavors can match what emperor penguins do for their chicks. This acutely observant documentary records the astonishing acts of commitment and endurance that these birds engage in

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Action/Adventure Rated R

Director Peter Weir and star Russell Crowe have tried to make Master ring true for seafaring buffs, especially fans of Patrick O’Brian’s series of historical novels. I don’t belong to either group, but I’d rather be immersed in the history and jargon such enthusiasts demand than sit through a mindless spectacle of which no one

Mexican, The (2001)

Romantic Comedy Rated R

Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts bring luster to this clever, slight story of a dippy mob gofer (Pitt) who’s sent to retrieve a cursed Mexican gun, much to the dismay of his nagging girlfriend (Roberts). This is a romantic comedy in a crime farce’s clothing (or maybe vice versa), but most importantly it’s fun –

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

More of a fashion magazine photo spread than an action film, this sequel to 1996’s Mission: Impossible showcases some snazzy stunts courtesy of Hong Kong action director John Woo. But there’s no real vision here, aside from the slavish devotion to slow-motion shots of Tom Cruise’s perfectly coifed hair.

Mindhunters (2004)

Thriller Rated R

Mindhunters is a movie in search of a brain. This grisly whodunit, in which a serial killer picks off a team of FBI trainees who have been stranded on an abandoned island, seems to change its mind at least three times in the final 10 minutes about who the actual murderer is. With career-low performances

Moonlight Mile (2002)

Drama Rated PG-13

This has the ache of real pain, considering writer-director Brad Silberling based the story on the 1989 murder of his girlfriend. The movie follows Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose fiancee is killed on the eve of their wedding. As Joe and the murdered woman’s parents (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon) try to carry on with

Yards, The (2000)

Drama Rated R

A somber, dark and artful crime drama set among the New York City subway yards, where the wheels of business turn on corruption and graft. Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and James Caan each give touching, tragic performances – their characters sigh with regret more than they talk – but it’s Joaquin Phoenix as a bribery

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Drama Rated R

  A disarmingly gentle account of a trip taken by revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal) across South America when he was 22. Directed by Walter Salles, the movie’s politics are subtle – you’d be hard-pressed to draw a line from here to the Cuban Revolution, of which Guevara was an instrumental part –

BachelorMan (2003)

Comedy Rated R

This independent comedy is far more ambitious than necessary, with computer-animation, slick special effects and an ensemble cast all in service of a sitcom script. David DeLuise (son of Dom) stars as Ted, an unrepentant ladies’ man who meets his match when he falls for his new neighbor (Missi Pyle). The ensuing comedy mostly consists

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Musical Rated PG-13

This postmodern musical traces a mythologized love story – that of the doomed affair between a naive young writer (Ewan McGregor) and a nightclub courtesan (Nicole Kidman) in 1899 Paris – but its true concerns are strictly aural and visual: the way the vibrant colors of a cancan dancer’s dress meld into a moving rainbow